How to choose a Solar Power System for your home!
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With the availability of grid power becoming more scarce and imminent rising fuel costs, there’s no better time to make the switch to solar. It’s a good idea to start by understanding some basic facts with respect to your energy needs. This will help you to identify the best solar solution for your home or business
Calculate your energy load. That’s how much power you use on a daily basis.
To do this you need to:
A. list the major appliances you currently power. You should factor in lights, fans, televisions, fridge, water pump, microwave, washing machine and deep freezer if applicable.
B. note the total wattage for each type of device and multiply this by how many hours you want to run them for. The device wattage can be found on a label usually at the back of the equipment.
| Appliances | Device wattage (watts) |
Quantity | Total wattage (watts) |
| Lights | 10 | 4 | 40 |
| Fan | 50 | 1 | 50 |
| Television | 120 | 1 | 120 |
| Gadgets | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Total Load | 220 |
Finally, divide the total appliance wattage by the sun factor
220 watts x 8 hours daily usage = 1760 = 352 watts
——————————————- ——-
sun factor 5 5
Once you know how much energy you need it’s time to set a budget. The best way to do this is to calculate how much you are currently spending on fuel each month. Too often buyers have no clue of their cumulative spend on power. This can lead them to continue to run their generator wasting a significant amount in the process.
It’s not unheard of for a buyer to gawp at a solar repayment plan of N15,000 over 36 months only to discover they are spending twice as much, or more, on generator fuel and maintenance costs. Therefore, calculating your monthly petrol/diesel costs and servicing bill will give you a clear picture of your current energy expenditure and your budget for going solar.
The final stage is to select a Solar PV system based on your knowledge of your current energy usage and budget. Also factor in the following:
Flexible payment options and demonstrable savings
Experience of each prospective solar installer
Testimonials from their customers
Length of warranty and customer support on offer
Get your free energy assessment and quotation
